Urine| Hair Follicle | Oral Fluid | Blood | ETG
Hair testing has gained recognition as a significant method for identifying drug and alcohol consumption. Hair offers a prolonged history of substance use by embedding biomarkers within the fibers of the growing strand. When collected near the scalp, hair can offer up to an approximate three-month detection timeframe for alcohol and various drugs. It's easy to gather, challenging to tamper with, and simple to transport.
A 1.5-inch section of about 200 hair strands (roughly the diameter of a #2 pencil) nearest to the scalp provides 100mg of hair, the optimal sample for both screening and confirmation. For EtG, add-ons, and/or tests beyond 10 panels, 150mg of the specimen is advised. We suggest weighing the sample on a jeweler’s scale. If scalp hair isn’t available, an equivalent quantity of body hair can be used. When mentioning head hair, we specifically mean scalp hair. Body hair pertains to all other hair types (facial, axillary, etc.).
Process Overview
There are four essential steps in the laboratory handling of a drug test result: Accessioning, Screening, Extraction, and Confirmation.
Accessioning encompasses the first processing phase of a sample into a lab’s system. This step verifies that the sample was sealed and shipped correctly, assigns a random LAN (Laboratory Accessioning Number), and fills in any extra data entry not done by an electronic chain of custody system.
Screening is an initial quick review for substance abuse. Though Screening is a cost-effective strategy for ruling out drug consumption in most samples, a positive screen must be validated for court admissibility. Any presumptively positive screens demand further confirmation.
If a sample is preliminarily positive during the Screening phase, more hair is drawn from the initial specimen for Extraction. In Extraction, drugs are taken from hair at significantly lower concentrations than in other methods (e.g., urine or oral fluid), making hair drug screening the most complex methodology to execute.
Confirmation of any positive screening findings is executed using GC/MS, GC/MS/MS, or LC/MS/MS technologies. All presumed positive samples undergo washing prior to confirmation as needed. The full laboratory process from Accessioning to Confirmation is scrutinized under both the CAP (College of American Pathologists) Hair designation and the accreditation of ISO / IEC 17025 standards.
Advantages of hair drug testing:
Limitations:
Note: Although often termed "hair follicle tests", the analysis is conducted on the hair strand and not the follicle under the scalp.
Comparing testing methods in Thompson, CT, hair follicle tests outshine urine tests due to
Hair follicle tests, widely used in Thompson, CT, offer an extended detection period.
In Thompson, CT, hair follicle testing provides a tamper-resistant drug screening solution.
Our testing locations in Thompson, CT are part of our vast network ensuring
The hair follicle testing process in Thompson, CT is simple and confidential.
In Thompson, CT, hair follicle drug tests come with affordable pricing structures.
In Thompson, CT, hair follicle drug tests are renowned for their speed and accuracy.
For Thompson, CT employers, hair follicle testing ensures compliance and peace of mind.